Fletching jig for arrows



March 6., 1962 L. STANTON 3,024,017

FLETCHING JIG FOR ARROWS Filed Aug. 17, 1959 xiiggxf 38 U JNVENTOR. Lon 570/7 for? States This invention relates to the field of archery, and more particularly to the manufacture of projectiles shot from bows, the primary object being to provide improved precision fletching apparatus to facilitate the placement of feathers or other vanes on the shaft of an arrow to guide its flight.

Fletching apparatus of various forms have heretofore been suggested, but for the most part, in each case there has been an absence of accuracy, the task has been slow and tedious, and the devices used for such purpose have either been complicated and expensive or so inadequate as to. preclude attaining good end results.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide a rigid, nonadjustable fletching jig having basic accuracy built therein so that when properly used, eliminates any possibility of improper placement of the vane or feather on the shaft of an arrow.

A very important object of the instant invention is the provision of fletching apparatus that permits the application of adhesive directly to the arrow shaft through use of a slim nozzle, thereby eliminating mess and rendering the operation appreciably faster.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a rigid, nonadjustable jig that centrally locates, Within itself, the arrow shaft to be fletched, with all working surfaces in precise relation to each other.

Another important object of the instant invention is the provision of a fletching jig that permits application of a number of feathers or vanes simultaneously, thereby avoiding the loss of time Waiting for the glue to dry as in conventional jigs.

A further important object of the present invention is the provision of a rigid, nonadjustable fletching jig that will position the vanes or feathers straight, in a true helical spiral, or other chosen arrangement, and at all times in proper position relative to the axis of the arrow shaft.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of fletching apparatus made pursuant to my present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the arrow shaft shown in FIG. 1, illustrating one end of the jig on an enlarged scale entirely removed from the supporting cradle therefor.

FIG. 3 is a View of the jig shown in FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale showing the opposite end thereof.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view through the jig itself taken on line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical, crosssectional view through the jig; and

FIG. 6 is a detailed, vertical, cross-sectional View through a modified form of plug.

Those skilled in this art are aware of the necessity of providing shafts 10 of arrow 12 with feathers or vanes 14 at the neck of the shaft 10 to steady the flight by imparting a rotary motion to the projectile 12. However, some shooters prefer to have the vanes or feathers 14 set straight on the shaft 10 to give little or no rotary motion. As will hereafter appear, the present invention is adapted to permit exact spacing regardless of the shape of the feather-receiving bars about to be described.

Apparatus for applying the guiding means 14 forms the subject matter of the instant invention and includes a fletching jig broadly designated by the numeral 16 supported by a cradle 18 for rotation about the longitudinal, horizontal axis of the elongated jig 16.

3,@Z4,fl17 Patented Mar. 6, 1962 Jig 16 includes a pair of ends 20 and 22 adapted to hold the shaft 10 centered on the said axis of the jig 16, ends 29 "and 22 being interconnected by a number of elongated bars 24 extending longitudinally of the jig 16 and interconnecting the ends 20 and 22, the bars 24 preferably being integral with the ends 20 and 2,2.

Ends 20 and 22 are provided with tapered or frustoconical, coaxially aligned openings 26 and 28 respectively. The apex of the opening 26 is adjacent the bars 24 to permit removal of a plug 3% cornplementally fitted in the opening 26. The holding means for plug 30 may be in the nature of a stud 34 threaded into the end 20 alongside plug 30 and having its flat, disc-like kerfed head 36 partially overlapping plug 36 and recessed within the latter, as well as Within the end 20.

A socket 38 aligned with the longitudinal axis of jig 16' receives tip 40 of shaft 10 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1.

The opening 28 in the end 22 tightly and complementally receives a collet 42 having a plurality of sections 44 that may be made either from resilient or rigid material. A hole 46 through the collet 42 receives the shaft 10 and when the collet 42 is telescoped over the shaft 10, the sections 44 are spaced apart as seen in FIG. 2, but such spaces need not be uniform when the collet 42 is in the opening 28.

A ring 48 surrounds annular portion 5% of collet 42 and is recessed therein to hold the sections 44 against separation. Consequently, when collet 42 is forced tightly into the opening 28, it will grip the shaft 10 and cooperate with the socket 38 in holding the shaft 10 on the longitudinal axis of the jig 16.

Vane or feather 14 is held flatly against face 52 with its longitudinal edge 54 engaging the shaft 10 by a plate 56 that is twisted to be complemental with the shape of face 52. A plurality of clamps 58 embracing the bar 24, releasably hold the plate 56 against the vane or feather 14 and the face 52. Manifestly, since there are three bars 24 shown in the jig 16 chosen for illustration, a set of clamps 58 and a plate 56 will be provided for each bar 24 respectively so that three of the vanes or feathers 14 may be applied to the shaft 10. And, it is obvious that any number of bars 24 may be employed, depending upon the number of vanes or feathers to be applied to the shaft 10.

Cradle 18 includes a self-supporting base 60 having upstanding legs 62 provided with arcuate cavities 64 at the upper ends thereof for rotatably supporting the annular ends 20 and 22 with the jig 16 held against longitudinal displacement by being positioned between the legs 62 within the cavities 64.

An alternate plug 136 (FIG. 6) may be used if desired, in lieu of plug 30 when it is preferred to mount a mock 66 on the tip 40 of shaft 10. Socket 138 in plug has an ear 68 that receives the bifurcated neck 66.

In the event that shaft 10 is provided with a broad head in lieu of a target tip 69 as illustrated in FIG. 1, collet 42 could not be removed after the vanes or feathers 14 are applied. Hence, it is seen that, by virtue of the spacing that is provided between the sections 44, the shaft 10 with its vanes or feathers 14 applied thereto, and with the collet 42, may first be removed from the jig 16, the vanes of feathers 14 flexing sufficiently to pass through the opening 28. Thereupon, the collect 42 may be slipped from the shaft 10 as the feathers or vanes 14 pass through the spaces between the sections 44 of collet 42.

It is manifest that in use, after the shaft 10 has been mounted in the jig 16 and held in place by socket 38 or socket 138 as the case may be, and by the collet 42, the fletcher may simply lay the vane or feather 14 on the 6 face 52 and slip it into place until edge 54 engages the shaft 16-.

Since the shaft 10 is first provided with adhesive 76', such adhesive 76 will set up as the vane or feather 14 is held in place by plate 56 and clamps S. Noteworthy is the fact that the adhesive 76 may be applied through use of an elongated nozzle 74 between the bars 24 without mess or loss of time. Faces 52 of bars 24 serve as guides when nozzle '74 is caused to slide therealong as shown in FIG. 4 to leave a bead of the adhesive 76 in proper location on the shaft 19.

All three bars 24 may be placed in use simultaneously and when the adhesive has dried, the shaft 19 is removed from the jig 16 in the manner above described. That surface of the plate 56 which engages the vane or feather 14 may be roughened in any suitable manner to facilitate shifting of the vane or feather 14 into place as it slides along the face 52 transversely thereof into firm contact with the shaft throughout the edge 54. Such roughening may, for example, be accomplished by providing a thin layer of foam rubber, sandpaper or other material 70 on the plate 56.

Any desired lead may be formed in the faces 52 during the manufacture of the jig 16. For example, the jig 16 chosen for illustration, is designed with a 60 spiral in the 5 inch lengths of the bars 24 which, of course, is a single turn each 30 inches. A lead of one turn in 36 inches or one turn in 24 inches may also be provided as is quite common in this field.

The one-piece jig 16 has many advantages over fletching devices heretofore suggested, including for example, the fact that the bars 24 have fixed spirals eliminating guesswork and assuring that all of the feathers have the same twist in each arrow.

The fietching apparatus is advantageous over conventional structures also in that no indexing is required in order to assure equal spacing of the feathers circumferentially of the shaft 10. Still further, the bars 24 are rigid and, therefore, inflexible, eliminating inaccuracies that occur when bendable metal or other materials are used for the purpose of holding the feathers in place during drying of the adhesive.

Although a right-hand spiral is shown in the drawing to accommodate right wing feathers, or guiding vanes adapted for right or left-hand spiraling, the bars 24 may be provided with left-hand spirals for left wing feathers or guiding vanes that have neither a left nor a right-hand configuration. And, of course, the bars 24 may have their faces 52 straight if desired.

The extremely accurate end results obtained by precision fietching through use of the instant invention, lends utility to the improvements not to be found in the teachings of the prior art.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus for use in fietching the shaft of an arrow, a jig having a longitudinal axis and including a pair of ends having axially aligned openings adapted to hold the shaft centered on said axis, and a number of bars fixedly interconnecting said ends and extending longitudinally of the jig in surrounding relationship to said axis, each bar having a spiral face and each face being transversely flat, all points on said face being radial to said axis.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of said ends has a tapered collet for gripping the shaft, the collet having a number of loosely interconnected sections, the opening in said one end being tapered and complementally receiving the collet to releasably hold the latter in gripping relationship to the shaft.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein each of said sections has a circumferentially extending groove in the outer surface thereof, and wherein is provided a ring disposed in said grooves for releasably holding said sections together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,648,376 Blodgett Nov. 8, 1927 1,840,470 Schneider Jan. 12, 1932 1,945,416 Birchall Jan. 30, 1934 2,485,441 Garrett Oct. 18, 1949 2,836,208 Hoyt May 27, 1958 2,884,034 Portinga Apr. 28, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 776,841 Great Britain June 12, 1957 

